1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a catch device for capturing ejected cartridge casings, links, and other spent brass material from an automatic fire machine gun mounted in a platform, such as a tank or other vehicle.
2. Background Information
Leaving a signature trail of spent machine gun cartridges, links, or other spent brass from a moving platform, such as a tank or other vehicle, during a battle can allow the enemy to track your company's movement. Leaving a trail of spent brass during battles or training maneuvers, for example, adversely affects the environment. Catching spent brass in a separate refuse can within the confines of a tank poses problems for the machine gun operator. Also, a military tank gunner does not have time to repeatedly empty a rapidly filling refuse bin during combat. The same is true for the spent brass ejected from a rapid fire machine gun mounted in a military helicopter, boat, jeep, truck, or the like.
The spent brass catch device of the present invention, which is made of fire retardant materials, detachably attaches to a machine gun apparatus that is mounted in a military track vehicle, boat, rotor or fixed wing, wheeled vehicle, or the like. The instant spent brass catch device includes a generally rectangular-shaped bag frame with a latch assembly for attachment to the machine gun apparatus, and a collection bag. Since space is important in a military vehicle or rotor or fixed wing planes, the collection bag includes internal cross members that prevent the collection bag from expanding to an unacceptable width as it is being filled with the spent cartridges and other brass. The bag cross members permit the collection bag to fit into the allotted space in the tank or other platform. When the collection bag is full, it can quickly be emptied by unzipping a zipper at the bottom of the collection bag. It is not necessary to disconnect the collection bag in order to empty it. Rather than being released to the environment, brass from the collected spent cartridges, links, etc. can be recycled at a later time. Collecting brass cartridges and link refuse and recycling it saves the government a substantial amount, and denies the enemy from collecting the refuse and recycling it themselves for weapon usage or profit.
The machine gun has had a tremendous impact on modern warfare, helping the Allies to win both World War I and World War II. Many thousands of mounted heavy machine guns are currently in use around the world. An effective means of collecting spent brass ejected from mounted machine guns can therefore have a significant beneficial effect on the environment and translate to significant cost savings for the military, particularly when multiplied by the number of heavy machine guns in use by the military.